The difference between Common Assault (contrary to Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988) and Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (contrary to Section 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861) is explained on the CPS website:
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/offences_against_the_person/
seriously iv just signed up and thought id ask a question i knew the answer to see how quick and how accurate the answers were. WAS NOT asking anyone to do my homework... thanx anyways
Specific: "I didn't do it" (and, for example, "here are the witnesses or alibis to prove it").
General: "I didn't have the mens rea required for me to be convicted of this offence". (e.g. "I was suffering from a form of insanity or automatism", "I was acting under duress" or "the effect of alcohol, or another intoxicating substance, made me incapable of having the required mens rea").
if you are polite, people will gladly help. and if you can't work this out for yourself using google or your textbooks, you are in trouble - or on the wrong course!